Dist. 211 to prevent leaks at Conant, Fremd
Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board members Thursday recommended a $1.46 million repair of Conant High School's roof and a $248,000 repair of Fremd High School's skylight this summer to prevent a potential for leaks in the near future.
The maintenance issues were discovered through an update of the district's Health/Life Safety Survey, required for all facilities every 10 years and which was most recently done in 2010.
Steven East, District 211's director of purchasing and facilities, said these were two issues that did not exist when the last thorough survey was done.
But other work on Conant's roof late last year led to the discovery of bubbles in the structure.
There are no internal signs of leaks yet at either Conant in Hoffman Estates or Fremd in Palatine, but it was felt this summer was the best time to engage in preventive maintenance, East said.
Neither issue is considered to be an immediate threat to the structures or a danger to their occupants.
The board's vote Thursday sends the recommendation for action to the Regional Office of Education and the Illinois State Board of Education, whose review is required for District 211 to spend its own funds on the projects, East said.
While neither issue does pose an immediate threat, both fall under the category of the district's Health/Life Safety Survey. There are other, more routine maintenance projects throughout the district that are also likely to occur this summer, East said.
In other business Thursday, the school board approved both an agreement with the village of Palatine for its fire equipment to refuel at Palatine High School, as well as a 20-year lease for an AT&T cell antenna at Fremd.
Palatine fire engines and ambulances will be able to refuel at the pumps used by school buses at Palatine High School during off-peak transportation hours. The village will be billed monthly for its fuel use.
The cell antenna at Fremd will be located on a reinforced light pole provided by AT&T itself at the football stadium. The lease will generate $725,501 for the district, going up 3 percent every year from $27,000 in the first year to $47,345 in the 20th.